Bank robbery suspect may be person found dead in Jax

One of two people found dead in a Jacksonville motel Thursday night could be linked to several bank robberies in the area, Jacksonville police said.

The man and woman were found inside the City Center Motel at 2414 Philips Highway shortly before 10 p.m., victims of an apparent murder-suicide, police said.

Sgt. Malcolm Farmer with the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office robbery division told The St. Augustine Record Friday: "The suicide portion of the murder-suicide is believed to be our bank robbery suspect."

Lt. Rick Graham with the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office homicide department told The Record that nothing has yet been found to conclusively link the man to the robberies.

"We're still trying to get some positive ID. We're not sure what their names are," Graham said.

Police had been tipped off that a person possibly involved in a spree of bank robberies in Orlando, St. Augustine and Jacksonville was staying at the motel, Graham said.

When police arrived and knocked on the door, around 9:45 p.m., Graham said, they received no answer.

"We ended up going into the room and found two people dead in the room," Graham said. "That's pretty much what we're looking at right now, the murder suicide."

Kevin Kelshaw, spokesman for the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office, said local detectives were traveling to Jacksonville Friday to help identify the dead bodies.

They were going to try to match the photo taken last week in the Bank of St. Augustine with one of the victims, Kelshaw said.

A spokesman with the Orange County Sheriff's Office said Friday afternoon that Orlando officials were unaware of the possible connection between the murder-suicide and the bank robbery suspect.

On Sept. 19, the McCoy Federal Credit Union in Orlando was held up, according to the Orange County Sheriff's Office.

Three Jacksonville robberies began on Sept. 26 at Southtrust Bank at 5960 Beach Blvd. The next came on Sept. 28 at Compass Bank, 8730 Baymeadows Road. The third was on Oct. 2 at Compass Bank, 9550 San Jose Blvd., according to the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office.

On Oct. 4, a bearded man walked into the Bank of St. Augustine, 120 State Road 312. He pointed a gun at tellers and demanded money, then ran off, according to the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office.